A technique in which a transistor is formed using a semiconductor material has attracted attention. The transistor is used in a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) or an image display device (also simply referred to as a display device). As semiconductor materials applicable to the transistor, silicon-based semiconductor materials have been widely used, but oxide semiconductors have been attracting attention as alternative materials.
For example, a technique for formation of a transistor using zinc oxide or an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide semiconductor as an oxide semiconductor is disclosed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
In recent years, demand for integrated circuits in which semiconductor elements such as miniaturized transistors are integrated with high density has risen with increased performance and reductions in the size and weight of electronic appliances.